Zapping the brain to treat severe depression in human patients

Neuroscience, Psychology , , , , 0 Comment

severe depression

Severe Depression by Zapping the Brain

Chances are that you know somebody, perhaps a family member, friend, or acquaintance, who has had severe depression or at least some kind of depression before.

It’s a hugely prevalent mental disorder, with up to 17% of people in the US suffering from it at some point in their lives.

In a small subset of severe depression cases, even strong medication or electroconvulsive brain therapy don’t help.

To treat these patients, a group of psychiatrists and neurosurgeons in Mannheim and Heidelberg, Germany, have successfuly conducted an initial deep brain stimulation study.

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical procedure where a thin metal wire, an electrode, is implanted into a certain part of the brain to stimulate it. The electrode has to be placed in a very, very specific area (millimeters in size) of the brain and thus the patient’s head is fixed in place with a ‘stereotactic rig,’ which is a precisely machined device that can guide the electrode to a precise coordinate within the head.

The scientists in this most recent study implanted the electrode into the habenula, which is a small group of neurons that is thought to be involved in reward processing and many other functions. They found that habenular stimulation was able to successfuly treat a 64-year-old woman who had intractable, severe depression since the age of 18!

The researchers and clinicians are now attempting to expand on this severe depression success with a larger clinical study of severely depressed patients all over Germany.

Human babies aren’t that special after all

Development, Neuroscience , , , 0 Comment

human babies

Human babies take a long time to start walking

The onset of walking for human babies is thought to represent a critical milestone in development of the nervous system, when neuronal systems mature enough to coordinate the complex movements of multiple limbs and prevent the animal from falling over.

How long it takes for human babies to start walking is one area that scientists originally thought that humans differ from other mammals.

A human baby only starts to walk on shaky legs around a year after birth, but a foal can get up almost immediately and rodents like mice only require a few hours to start moving around. In a new study published in PNAS, a group from Lund University in Sweden has found why this difference exists – and surprisingly, it’s not because humans are uniquely different.

Most mammals start walking around the same developmental time!
They showed that human babies actually start walking at the same brain developmental stage as most other mammals that walk. If you look at progression of brain development after conception, and not birth, humans start walking at the same relative point in time.

This shows that the neural mechanisms that underlie the ability to walk are very similar across animals and the neural building blocks of human brains come together in a similar manner as even lower mammals that diverged in evolution many millions of years ago.

Analyzing brain development data from other animals allowed them to predict quite accurately when humans would start to walk. Though humans may be different in many ways, motor development of the brain is not one of them.

These findings shed new light on how developmental paths in early life could have been conserved evolutionarily from lower organisms all the way up to humans, and they lead to better understanding of the developmental clock and what events occur at what stage of development, which may have relevance for treating developmental disorders in the future.

“Human babies” Photo by Photostock.

Your appetite might be linked to risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Memory, Neuroscience , , , , ,

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease – Appetite might be linked to risk of Alzheimer’s

The hormone leptin controls your appetite
Leptin is a potent and important appetite-regulating hormone – if you’ve just polished off a couple plates of food at a buffet, your blood leptin levels will rise and signal to your brain that you’re full.

The picture to the right shows an obese mouse that is missing the leptin gene and thus doesn’t produce leptin in its body. When it starts eating, it doesn’t stop and becomes obese.

The same thing happens in a small population of humans who are missing the leptin gene. They can’t control their appetite and get fat. But as always in biology, the story is more complicated. Some obese people have exactly the opposite effect – higher leptin levels than normal.

This might be because they have a genetic defect that makes them resistant to the effects of the hormone – when their bodies detect that the existing leptin in the bloodstream isn’t working, more leptin is pumped out, leading to higher levels.

Higher leptin = less risk of Alzheimer’s disease
A group of researchers based in Boston University have just finished an epic 12-year study of over 750 elderly people, where they tracked leptin levels and brain function (with brain scans). In short, they found that people with overall higher leptin levels at the start of the study ended up with less Alzheimer’s disease and healthier brains.

This is exciting because it would be extremely powerful to find a way to predict whether somebody is going to get Alzheimer’s disease later in their life, allowing early intervention and treatment – this study shows that leptin might be a useful predictive biomarker.

Now you might be thinking, if people with lower leptin levels get more Alzheimer’s disease, why don’t we give them some more leptin? Great minds think alike, because that’s exactly what Dr. J. Wesson Ashford and the Stanford/VA Alzheimer’s Center received $3M from the NIH (National Institute of  Health) to look into.

Of course, any clinical application of this leptin / Alzheimer’s disease work is still many years away, but it’s good to see progress being made in understanding risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.

Personal Development Tips To Help You On Life’s Winding Road

Development

Many people all across the world have a desire to positively change their life. Some people are looking for improvement in their personal lives, while others have their focus on the professional aspect of their life. If you are looking to apply some personal development to your life, look no further than the wonderful advice that is contained in this article.

Always look for new challenges. These challenges can open new doors and develop better character and personality. You can learn more and acquire new skills. You may even set an example for others to follow in the future. Try to do your own thing, instead of doing what has already been done.

If you have had several consecutive failings, take a moment to analyze what you’re doing wrong. You can take time to research your goals, and see how others have achieved the same accomplishments. You might find you are making simple mistakes such as not spending enough time or not getting the right information.

Improve your own life by researching the habits practiced by successful people you admire. Pick two or three simple habits and focus on them until they are second nature. In general, it takes approximately three weeks to turn a new behavior into an accustomed habit, so have confidence in yourself and don’t quit before you’ve really given yourself a chance to succeed.

Setting and reaching some short term goals can jump start your path to a happy, healthy life. Figure out what you do and do not do well, and you will learn a lot about yourself.

Find texts that help you. Such texts might include religious scripture, inspirational books, poetry and other forms of writing. Having something that you can easily turn to when times get tough and you need encouragement gives you a better mind set, and helps you handle your life better.

Measure your progress by organizing as much as you can. You may find it easier to achieve your goals if you break them down into smaller components. You can watch your progress through daily planners, or, you can devote a whole journal specifically focused on your personal development targets.

Self discipline is a requirement for successful personal development. Make sure you exhibit self control over what you most desire. Overcome your body’s desire to overindulge in pleasure. Eating is uncomfortable and unhealthy when it becomes overeating; lustful or drunken behavior will harm your body as well. Not only will you learn restraint, you will also keep your body healthy by refusing to participate in these harmful activities.

You can learn how to handle difficult problems without over-reacting. Learning ways to maintain your composure when stressed will help boost your self-esteem, and help you triumph under any circumstance. Above all, remember to take a second and breathe deeply before confronting any stressful situation.

It is important to treat your body well and listen to its signals. Listen to what your body is saying to you, so if it is exhibiting hunger, thirst, etc., then it’s up to you to rectify that situation quickly. By doing that, your body will perform better later on in the future. If you neglect your body now, you will pay for it down the line.

A critical step of personal development is the realization and acceptance of your insignificance. If you admit that you are simply a tiny part of this world, you will begin to recognize how much you still have to learn. Once you adopt this mindset, you will be more open-minded and receptive to new knowledge, which will lead to self-improvement.

Stress is one of the biggest road blocks to happiness. When our minds are stressed, our mental and physical bodies are harmed. Letting go of stress can be the key to better thinking and meeting our goals with clear purpose and calm intent. Schedule in relaxation times throughout the day, clearing your mind in a peaceful setting. This time can help you improve your overall life.

You must focus on living your life and making decisions that fall within the limitations of your own personal strengths and abilities. Each person has their own set of skills. That is what makes our planet so great. Instead of getting upset about skills you do not possess at this time, it is best to maximize the benefits and strengths and skills you excel at currently.

Whatever you need, and whatever you decide to do about it, you must at least do one thing. You have to take an active role in you life, and not just passively accept the things in your life that you want to change. Sitting back and watching will make you dull and unhappy.

Try to rid of your life of disorganization. Getting organized can give you a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, and staying organized will only increase your confidence. The stress caused by disorganization will also be relieved. Organizing your environment can be a calming and centralizing influence.

For many people, faith and love are the core components of personal development. Faith seldom exists without the accompanying emotion of love. Never let faith take a back burner in your life. Put your faith into action by helping others and loving not only your peers, but yourself as well.

Are you having trouble meeting someone that you can love and call your own? Maybe it’s time to look to the internet. Many couples meet online now. You may find one that is looking for someone like you. Free sites have advantages and disadvantages, but so do paid dating sites.

By being a leader, you can help improve your personal development. Leadership has many definitions, but many people think of it as “influence.” Take a look at your leadership journey. What experiences have had the greatest impact on your life? How have you changed because of those events? What do you feel makes you a good team player? Analyzing these questions can help you generate a team perspective and allow you to lead by example.

Most people know they want to improve something in their life but remain unsure of how to get started. The following piece includes several thoughts on how to get the ball rolling, though ultimately, the responsibility is yours. You can come back to these tips again and again to keep your motivation level high.

How To Maximize The Potential Of Your Memory

Memory

Having a great memory can help you succeed in life, in school, and in your job. Memory can help you be more profitable, gain more knowledge and improve your interpersonal relationships. Your memory can be easily sharpened by practicing memory techniques, and making some lifestyle changes.

Make up a song for anything you’re trying to remember. It may sound peculiar, but how many of you have ever sung the ABC song? Because melodies repeat themselves, it’s easy for your mind to remember them. Try singing your next thought, so you can see that you can easily recall it.

Take daily fish oil supplements to enhance or maintain cognitive abilities. Research has demonstrated that Omega 3 Fats, such as fish oil, can increase your memory. Because you can have too much of a good thing, you should consult your doctor about the proper dosage.

Hook information together to help you remember information. Try to make logical connections between info that you learn so that it is easier for your brain to recall that info. For instance, if a chemistry student needs to memorize the periodic table symbol for lead (Pb), he can link it to panda bears for maximum recall ability. This connection is bizarre, and that makes it easy to remember.

One way to improve your mind and memory is by taking care of your body. Exercise helps to improve your memory, at the same time that it improves your health. Also, when you exercise, it gets more oxygen to your brain, and reduces the risk of disorders that can lead to memory loss. Exercise can activate chemicals that can help to protect cells located in your brain.

If you have a large quantity of information you need to remember, organize things in related categories rather than studying random clusters of information. Research studies have shown that there is a greater likelihood of the subject being retained into your memory when organizing yourself in this way.

Learn more than the minimum that you need on any one topic. It’ll be much easier for you to remember things when the knowledge you have on the subject is vast. Read multiple descriptions of words or subjects you are attempting to learn.

If you really want to do something to improve your memory, you should try to include Omega-3 supplements into your diet. Foods that are high in omega fatty acids have been shown to improve brain health and memory function. Add more oily fishes to your diet, such as salmon.

Find ways to incorporate fish oil into your regular diet. If you find your memory is not what it used to be, you may not be getting enough Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. You can choose to take it as a daily dietary supplement.

Get up and walk away from your study or work routine for a minimum of five minutes per hour. Your brain requires a rest and relaxation period to better handle what you have provided. This makes it easier for you to retain important matters more effectively.

Get adequate rest. Make sure you’re getting good sleep, too--eight hours a night isn’t enough if you’re waking every few minutes or sleep on an uncomfortable bed. In fact, sleep plays a vital role in both your short-term and long-term memory. When brain cells are weary, they will not help you with memory retention. Get enough restful sleep during the night to aid your memory.

Ever experienced the feeling of something on the tip of your tongue? If you find yourself doing this often, you are not alone. Just take a step back and breathe deeply, and thing about the word and how you can remember it. Your mind can remember, it just takes patience. When you do this, you can just let the word you’re trying to think of come to mind.

There is a ton of information you should learn and keep in mind, and it will help you study at a lot of different places. If you’re stuck in the same location learning material, then you will associate material with only specific location. You basically want to encourage your brain to be able to learn information anywhere possible so that the more you practice learning, the easier it becomes to do anywhere you are.

Memory games can really improve your memory if you play them regularly. Once you look at what is available, you are sure to find something you really enjoy doing and strengthens your memory at the same time. In addition to aiding your memory, these games also boost concentration and attention skills. Do an online search for memory games that can be played for free online.

As you have seen, a wide variety of memory improvement techniques exist. They can help you remember everyday things like what you meant to buy at the store, as well as special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays. Remember the advice you have just read and you should be able to improve your memory skills easily.